Armchair BEA: Beyond the Blog

 Today's Topic: "Beyond the Blog"

Has blogging opened up opportunities for you beyond getting free, advance copies of new books? Has it helped you get offers to write or review elsewhere (maybe even for pay)? Have you gotten invites to special events or places you might not have been to otherwise? Today, we’d like you to talk about those opportunities in you own posts.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I love words! I have always had a passion for the English language and grammar.  Nerd, you say?  Why yes, and proud of it ;)  After I graduated with my AA, I wanted to continue and get my BA but I struggled with what to pursue.  My mom, knowing that I had a knack for writing encouraged me to go into Journalism.  I enrolled into FIU's Print Journalism program and I loved every minute of it.  Life got a wee-bit complicated and I wasn't able to complete my degree.  Then in 2009, we launched our blog and within a year, it hit me...my calling...what I should have been pursuing all along.

Writing?  Negatory!

I've never wanted to actually be a writer.  

Bottom line, I'm simply not clever enough and I am okay with that because what I truly love it editing!  I am constantly editing books while I read them.  Not because I'm critical but because I'm always trying to find a better way to say something or to make it as close to perfect as possible. 

Having a blog has helped me discover my passion!

My new goal in life is to go back to FIU (I really did love it there) and finish what I started.  From there, I am more than willing to move to NYC [insert cheesy grin] if it means finally doing what I love and what I think I'm best at.

Having a blog has also helped us with exposure!

I'm not talking about become famed bloggers...althoughhhh =P

I'm talking about learning more and becoming a part of this incredible WORLD of BOOKS!  We've made some really awesome friendships (see yesterday's networking post), have met some rockstar authors who are real and funny and kind, gotten TONS of books that we probably wouldn't have known about otherwise and hopefully we can add going to conventions to this list one day!

Beyond that, I am happy with not monetizing our blog.  That's not to say that a little extra pocket change would be unwelcome, but I don't want this to become a business.  I don't want to add MORE work to what's already a lot of responsibility.  Maybe one day we'll add some ads or toy with the idea some more, but for now...I think our blog is great as it is!

Armchair BEA: Networking

 Today's Topic: "Networking...in real life?!"

We’d love for you to share a positive “real life” experience with books! Either by way of your own partnerships in your community, a book signing you went to or possibly even a get together with fellow book bloggers. Tell us all about it!

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Being in Miami, we're really fortunate to have access to so many literary opportunities from author events to the Miami Book Fair ever November.  Even better is the amazing group of local bloggers that we get to share these experiences with :) Isalys knew Nely from All about {n} and Jen from Not Now, I’m Reading before blogging, but Ash from Smash Attack Reads, Yani from The Secret Life of an Avid Reader, Johanna from JJ iReads and even Marcela from Bookaholic Cat who visits us when she's in town from Turkey were introduced to us through blogging...and our other friend Yami who isn't a blogger, but is a reader who we met at our local Barnes & Noble.  We've connected with these girls in ways that we hadn't with anyone else (other than each other) because of our common love of reading and our insane sense of humor! Seriously, we might all be slightly imbalanced, lol.

We've hung out at various bookish events, worked on Bloggiesta together, had countless dinners, game nights, birthday celebrations, holiday parties, clothing swaps, movie mall tours, even gone dancing, etc.  We're become real, true-blue friends!

 

 

Books & Books is our local indie book store and they most the best author events in town!  We've gotten to go to two Dark Days tours and meet authors like: Carrie Ryan, Andrew Smith, Richelle Mead, Lauren Oliver, Lauren Kate, Kimberly Derting, Claudia Gray, Dan Wells, Tahereh Mafi, Veronice Rossi, Gayle Forman, Candace Bushnell, and more!  (True story!)

So if any other bloggers out there are in the Miami area, hit us up and we'll go to some events together.  And don't forget to check out Books & Books calender for info on events!

**We also don't want to fail to mention our MANY and AWESOMESAUCE pals on Twitter.  Some of our biggest, most gut-splitting laughs are courtesy of the friends we keep inside of the computer!**
#CheapThrillsTuesday / #WangTacoThursday / #EmergencyHornyChickKit - good times!

Now to the sad portion of our post, homegirl Ash from Smash Attack Reads is moving to Atlanta this month and we're going to miss her like whoa...seriously...this is quite tragic for us!  However, we're excited for the many awesome things we hope this move will bring her & her hubster and since Atlanta is just a hop, skip & jump north of Florida, we now have the perfect excuse to visit.  Maybe we can even form our own little Blogger Con somewhere in the middle *ooh*

So in conclusion *giggles* blogging has enriched our lives in ways that were completely unexpected, but totally wonderful!
(Wow, we're sappy as hell today!)

Armchair BEA: Best of 2012

So we thought that since we can't be at BEA, we'd bring BEA to us by participating in "Armchair BEA".  I realize that we missed day one so I hope it's cool we just jump in with day 2.  We didn't officially sign up so we don't have a giveaway but we figured it would be fun just to participate in the posts.

Today's topic is "Best of 2012" where we tell you guys all about our favorite reads of this year so far and other that we're particularly excited about.

FAVORITES OF 2012

Have you ever read a book that you loved so much, that had you so entranced and so completely emotionally invested that when you were done you felt like you were struck stupid because you had no idea how to put into words how incredible the book was? Well, that is DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE for me.

Check out the rest of our REVIEW.

INHALE'S ingenuity and complexity is beyond anything that I expected.  But beyond the larger than life characters, the fascinating world-building, the do or die plot, what really shines is Kendall's writing. She has a talent for completely immersing you in a strange and vibrant world. These places she created are unlike any other I've read but I never felt lost or confused. It's her talent as a writer to guide us through her story and she did so beautifully!

Check out the rest of our REVIEW.

Holy shitballs!  SACRIFICIAL MAGIC has to be the most powerful installment of the series yet.  Stacia Kane blows my fuggin' mind with her ability to make Chess seem so incredibly strong, such a fighter yet so very vulnerable.  I've never read a character so damaged and so worthy of redemption.  What a beautifully complicated character!  And as for Terrible...Oh Terrible...terrifying and noble and so easy to love!

I simply adore this series!

Next to Hunger Games, INSURGENT is easily the next best dsytopian series on the block!  I love how Veronica Roth captures the complexities, concerns and nuances of a dystopian society where people are forced into neat little boxes with like kind...but people are complicated and not so easily packaged!  

I can't remember the last time that a book affected me so much. The premise is unique, the characters are intense, and the world-building is surprising!  Jenny's story broke my heart.  Don't let Jenny fool you though; she is anything but meek.  J.L. Bryan took the mind-fuckery to EPIC proportions in this one!

Check out the rest of our REVIEW.

NOTABLE MENTIONS

It's been a great year so far and we have even more awesomesauce books to look forward to, like: 

BEFORE I WAKE by Rachel Vincent, THE FIRST DAYS by Rhiannon Frater, THE IMMORTAL RULES by Julie Kagawa, JUST BREATHE by Kendall Grey, CHASING MAGIC by Stacia Kane, DAYS OF BLOOD & STARLIGHT by Laini Taylor, GIRL OF NIGHTMARES by Kendare Blake.

We could keep going with this list but we'll stop there ;)